JEAN'S FIRST POST FOR 2015

I know Elmer was suppose to be here today, but he forgot.  After church this Sunday, he and Anna were invited to one of the church member's home for dinner.  While there some friends they haven't seen in a long time stopped in.  Marilyn tried to call them, but she received no answer it kept going into voicemail where she left messages.  Finally, she called me.  David called Elmer and after a while got him on the phone.  Elmer explained what happened and could I do a post.  Marilyn had already asked.  So here we are at 8:45 PM coming up with a post.

We hope everyone had a Happy New Year.  New Year's Day to us is like a regular work day.  But one of our families had a dinner for the Old Order Mennonite courting age folks. Michael, Edward and Thomas went to the dinner along with Thomas' young lady who was staying with us for a few days.  The all enjoyed the dinner.  After the dinner, they sang.  After singing, there were snacks.  At midnight someone in the neighborhood had fire crackers, so they watched them and all came home.

This coming weekend, another set of parents are planning on having all the young folks for skiing and sledding at their house as they live on the top of a hill, if the weather cooperates, which is should.  Still another set of parents is planning on ice skating at their house, another weekend again, if the weather cooperate and the pond freezes solid enough.  All the young folks bring a snack.  At the skiing and sledding, we must provide some soft drinks.  We are going to make root beer.  Also, we will go to the store and pick up some other soft drinks.

Each of the boys want to go in their own buggy.  As we only have one Old Order Mennonite courting buggy that causes a problem.  John, Elmer and Anna's son, has loaned us his Amish buggy.  Which leaves our family buggy for the third one.  The first time one of them drove John's buggy, our people thought an Amish fellow was coming,, which if fine.  Sometimes the Amish young folks and Old Order Mennonite young folks get together.  Now, they are use to it being one of our sons.

If there is a fire call when the young ones are out with out buggy, we let either Bishop Joseph or Elmer know, so if there is a fire, one of them stops and picks David up.  We have the feeling that the fellows are saving up their snow plowing money for another courting buggy.  Either that or they are saving money for materials so Michael can build one.

We have the bathroom and some of the bedrooms done in the attic.  It is hard to try to figure who sleeps up there.  At first we thought Thomas.  Michael got upset and said Thomas was our favorite.  We told Michael everyone is our favorite.  We thought Thomas because he is the oldest.  The ceilings are lower in the attic.  The bedrooms passed building inspection, but they are lower.  Thomas turned down the attic as he is so tall, he has to bow his head every time he goes through the door up there. We heard Michael and Edward disagreeing over who went up there.  David finished two bedrooms up there and moved both of them up there.  They are happy.  We are happy.  Thomas is happy as he has his own room and he doesn't have to bow his head every time he goes into the room.

So right now Thomas, Susan, Katie and David sleep on the second floor.  There is also a guest room there.  Michael and Edward are in the attic that we now call the third floor.  David and I sleep in the first floor bedroom.  David can add three more bedrooms on the third floor.  Like he said before, when we run out of bedrooms, we are done getting children.  We are not getting another house.  Of course Edward said, we could always add on the side.

In reading to days paper, we see where there is going to be a law that all people that plan on becoming foster parents must have a back ground check.  Also, if a Foster Parent has a child leave their home for another Foster home - they must have a background check and investigation as to why the child is being removed.  We had one child leave here who had medical problems and was moved from us to a Foster Family in Rochester, as they were closer to the hospital the child needed to go to.  Michael was suppose to be here until the school year ended and then went to another Foster Home.  To make a long story short, he didn't like it there as well as our house, so he was moved back here.  We are glad he was.  We have had children who were only temporary until they could be returned to their parents.

I thought all Foster Parents were checked out before they became them.  When we applied, we had to take courses and they finger printed us for a background check.

Well, I better get going and pick out a recipe for Marilyn to put on this week.

There is someone new coming on tomorrow.  There was a request asking to be told about newly married lad;y.  Sarah, Elmer and Anna's son John's wife, will be on telling about her new married life.  She has agreed to put the post on tomorrow and answer any questions you may have. She will not be on every week, but will be on to answer your questions,  So please, welcome Sarah.

Be With God,
Jean